BBC announces first UltraViolet DVD titles

BBC Worldwide, the corporation's commercial arm, has announced its first UltraViolet-enabled DVD and Blu-Ray titles in the UK, as it gets on board with the industry's new anti-piracy technology.

Launching this month, the first four BBC UV titles are: Doctor Who: Series 7 - Part 1, John Bishop's new stand-up DVD Rollercoaster, the new Top Gear special commission and Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild.

Both the DVD and Bu-ray releases of all the titles will be UV-enabled.

UltraViolet was introduced in the UK last December, with backers including Hollywood Studios Warner Bros, Sony Pictures and Fox, along with the likes of Tesco, Sky, LoveFilm and Samsung.

Created by cross-industry consortium Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE), UltraViolet (UV) enables consumers to "buy once, play anywhere", meaning in addition to the physical DVD, they also get a digital copy that can be played on as many as 12 different devices.

The system, designed to tackle online piracy and boost sales, works by consumers receiving a code when they buy a DVD or Blu-ray disc, enabling them to download or stream a digital version.

Using cloud-based technology, UV also allows consumers to create a 'virtual locker' of films and TV shows for access on a variety of devices.

For its initial slate of UV titles, Worldwide has signed up content delivery partner Flixster to act as the supporting suite for consumers to redeem their digital copies.

Details on how this works will be included in the DVD leaflet. More information will also be available on the BBC Worldwide website.

"We're thrilled to be announcing our first UV-enabled DVDs and embrace this new era for home video - the UltraViolet era," Claude London, the digital director for BBC Worldwide Consumer Products, said.

"We hope UV will empower consumers to build digital entertainment libraries and continue to enjoy BBC Worldwide releases either at home or on the move.

"We will continue to work as part of the UV consortium and with our supporting partner Flixster on further releases for early 2013."